Somewhere in a secluded place at night
"What do you mean your eyes were killed?" a young man demanded. "Didn't you say you had everything covered?"
"I thought I did, but they discovered my crow, and I didn't think he would kill it," a woman's voice answered.
"Nah. You said you had it, but you didn't. You just thought." His voice rose. "Here, we don't think — we do. And now look what's happened. Argh!"
"You scumbag," the woman spat.
The young man laughed. "I guess the shoe fits. Where are those powers you were boasting about? Where are they now?"
"You—" the woman began, but before she could finish, the elder's deep voice cut through.
"Enough. We have a serious problem, and all you can do is bicker? How foolish."
They tried to speak, but the elder lifted his right hand. "Don't. We can't let them win. Understood?"
Both nodded.
"Now what?" the young man asked.
"Now we corner them," the elder replied.
"I hear you, but how?" the young man pressed.
The woman scoffed. "Can't you use your brain for once? We take care of business. Who's Riven's weakness?"
"Rea," the young man said.
"Not her," the woman shot back.
"Then… Riven himself," he tried again.
"Yes," the woman said sharply. "To make Riven act without thinking, we use Lior — his mate."
"But Lior isn't a fool," the young man argued.
"He's not," the elder agreed, his voice cold, "but when it comes to one's mate, reason disappears. Instinct takes over."
---
Zach
Morning comes, not because I wake naturally, but because of the noise outside. There's a commotion in the kingdom — that's what happens when there's no leader, only a council. I'm not surprised. These things happen here all the time, whether it's gambling or fighting. I ignore it, take my bath, and focus on myself.
I'm drying my hair, a towel wrapped around my waist, when someone starts pounding on my door.
"I'm coming," I say, opening it.
Rea bursts in, sweating, her face tight with panic.
"Well, good morning to you too, cuz," I mutter, watching her rush past me.
"Hurry up, Riven — you have to save him!" she blurts.
I frown. "Save who now?" I ask, still running the towel over my hair.
"Riven!" she shouts. "They're trying to kill Lior. Hurry up and get dressed!"
Her words slam into me. My chest tightens. "Wait — which Lior are you talking about?"
"Your mate, damnit!" she snaps.
My eyes widen instantly. My body moves before my brain catches up — I rush to my closet, dragging on pants and a t-shirt.
"What is he doing here, Rea?" I demand as I pull the shirt over my head.
"He came here for you. Apparently, he got a message from someone on the inside that said you were in danger," she says quickly.
"Danger? What danger? And what inside man? How do you even know about Lior?" I fire back, yanking my pants into place.
Before she can answer, an explosion shakes the air outside, followed by shouts.
We don't waste time. We run.
I barely manage to fasten my pants, shoes forgotten, as we push through the crowd. The further we go, the louder the chaos grows. Everyone is carrying weapons.
I shove my way to the front, and what I see makes my heart ache.
Lior stands trapped at the center, bound by a sun-binding wards it an enchanted circle that binds vampires to stop moving in that shadows as they make him weak it drying his powers , atleast the shadows are sparing him from the burning sun, but he's weak — so weak.
The council is there. Aisha too, smiling down at him with satisfaction.
Aisha's father raises a hand, and the crowd goes silent.
"We are here to bring justice to our kind who have died at the hands of theirs. So what should be done to him?" he calls out.
"Burn him!" someone yells.
The crowd picks it up, voices merging into one. "Burn him! Burn him!"
"The people have spoken. Burn him!" the councilman declares, signaling to Izzah, one of the guards.
Lior lifts his head, his eyes meeting mine — tired, broken, but brave.
As they prepare to light the flames, my voice rips through the chaos.
"Stop!"
Every head turns toward me.
Lior's gaze holds mine, weak but alive.
Whatever binds him in that circle… it's killing him.